BBC One Again Voted 'Terrestrial Channel of the Year'

The BBC last might scored a hat-trick after being voted Terrestrial Channel of the Year for the third year running. BBC One Controller, Jay Hunt, collected the award at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television event, hosted by comedian, Michael McIntyre.

BBC One’s hit series, The Apprentice, produced by talkbackTHAMES, was voted the Terrestrial Programme of the Year, with series’ editor Mark Saben, collecting the award.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 head of Specialist Factual, Angela Jain, picked up the award for Non-terrestrial Channel of the Year, for E4.

The Wire, originally on FX channel, scooped the award for Non-terrestrial Programme of the Year. The award was picked up by one of the stars of the critically acclaimed-drama, Dominic West. He told the audience it was being received “in contempt of the Murdoch doctrine” – a response to James Murdoch's MacTaggart Lecture of the previous evening, which argued for an de-regulated broadcasting market. The previous day, The Wire creator, David Simon, had described, at the festival, his drama as a “critique of unrestrained capitalism”.

This is the first time the winners of the prestigious awards were decided by a live audience vote , after over 2000 online voters had chosen the shortlist.